I find this song to be absolutely brilliant the way Cohen integrates the symbolism of poker to parrallel men who use women.
In the first verse he's talking about a man trying to sway a woman saying that it's true I was a player and all players you've met said that they're through playing everytime they wanted to be with you and that it's hard to trust a man like that, because he wants the sky to surrender.
The first chorus is pretty clear. He's talking about past men again and about their dirty ways of waiting and watching for the moment to take utter advantage of you (when you begin to trust/love) so as to keep his cards face up on the table and attempt to show that he has clean hands.
The second chorus is just a continuation of the first and a finish of what the "dealers" have done. Talking about how they'll say how you have broke them of all of their bad deeds with your love and kindness and then behind your back they take out their routines and mark off what they've already said and need to say next to get you vulnerable.
The next segue he focuses on himself again saying now here I am, ignore my dreams for the sky to surrender as if it's someone elses problem. He's an ex-player who you've seen dispatching cards with a golden arm (meaning he was pretty good at it) but now he's rusted (meaning he's done with it) and he wants to instead be a lover.
And she hates to see this tired man giving up on his dreams, but then she kind of takes notice of some smoke curling deception perhaps, as some sort of foreshadowing. It's obvious that at this point she's wanting to help him but still skeptical.
So she quickly makes the decision, but it doesn't strike her until she realizes that she can't close him out now, the deal is done and set. And he's telling her to open her heart and don't be afraid, you're just a stranger to love.
And in the next two verses he's leaving and trying to convince her that he was never a player, and offering for her to come join him in his getaway. She's confused and isn't quite sure anymore whether he does love her and wants her to come, or if he's just taking her for everthing she's got. "When he gets like this you don't know what he's after" She decides that she'll trust him and meet him someplace and jump out on a limb in spite of everything she's experienced.
Then the last two choruses are the same as the before ones where he was describing to her what all players do to women in the end, and trying to profess that he's not that way, only this time they're literal and he is playing her and he has left her and he explains to her "I told you I was a stranger". Just the icing on the cake to call her a dope.
I always felt like the part where he says ''it's you my love, who are the stranger'' means that maybe she was wrong all along in her perception of things. while she thought all the other men were letting her down, it was actually only her that was uable to love. and now that he is there and says he really wants her she has nothing to hide behind and she has to realize that she is the stranger and she has been all along. she is the one still looking for something. or maybe like you said, it's just...
I always felt like the part where he says ''it's you my love, who are the stranger'' means that maybe she was wrong all along in her perception of things. while she thought all the other men were letting her down, it was actually only her that was uable to love. and now that he is there and says he really wants her she has nothing to hide behind and she has to realize that she is the stranger and she has been all along. she is the one still looking for something. or maybe like you said, it's just that she is now unable to trust people because of all the ''players'' she had to deal with in the past.
" and trying to profess that he's not that way, only this time they're literal and he is playing her and he has left her and he explains to her "I told you I was a stranger". Just the icing on the cake to call her a dope." I'm sorry but I didn't understand what you said here (I'm not a native speaker so maybe that causes some confusion). Could you explain me what you mean?
" and trying to profess that he's not that way, only this time they're literal and he is playing her and he has left her and he explains to her "I told you I was a stranger". Just the icing on the cake to call her a dope." I'm sorry but I didn't understand what you said here (I'm not a native speaker so maybe that causes some confusion). Could you explain me what you mean?
I find this song to be absolutely brilliant the way Cohen integrates the symbolism of poker to parrallel men who use women.
In the first verse he's talking about a man trying to sway a woman saying that it's true I was a player and all players you've met said that they're through playing everytime they wanted to be with you and that it's hard to trust a man like that, because he wants the sky to surrender.
The first chorus is pretty clear. He's talking about past men again and about their dirty ways of waiting and watching for the moment to take utter advantage of you (when you begin to trust/love) so as to keep his cards face up on the table and attempt to show that he has clean hands.
The second chorus is just a continuation of the first and a finish of what the "dealers" have done. Talking about how they'll say how you have broke them of all of their bad deeds with your love and kindness and then behind your back they take out their routines and mark off what they've already said and need to say next to get you vulnerable.
The next segue he focuses on himself again saying now here I am, ignore my dreams for the sky to surrender as if it's someone elses problem. He's an ex-player who you've seen dispatching cards with a golden arm (meaning he was pretty good at it) but now he's rusted (meaning he's done with it) and he wants to instead be a lover.
And she hates to see this tired man giving up on his dreams, but then she kind of takes notice of some smoke curling deception perhaps, as some sort of foreshadowing. It's obvious that at this point she's wanting to help him but still skeptical.
So she quickly makes the decision, but it doesn't strike her until she realizes that she can't close him out now, the deal is done and set. And he's telling her to open her heart and don't be afraid, you're just a stranger to love.
And in the next two verses he's leaving and trying to convince her that he was never a player, and offering for her to come join him in his getaway. She's confused and isn't quite sure anymore whether he does love her and wants her to come, or if he's just taking her for everthing she's got. "When he gets like this you don't know what he's after" She decides that she'll trust him and meet him someplace and jump out on a limb in spite of everything she's experienced.
Then the last two choruses are the same as the before ones where he was describing to her what all players do to women in the end, and trying to profess that he's not that way, only this time they're literal and he is playing her and he has left her and he explains to her "I told you I was a stranger". Just the icing on the cake to call her a dope.
Truely amazing lyrics.
I love your insight, its helped me with this song alot, I was confused about what was so annoying about the guy- and it makes sense now. Thanks! xxooo
I love your insight, its helped me with this song alot, I was confused about what was so annoying about the guy- and it makes sense now. Thanks! xxooo
NB I do think its tinged with regret/fear-of-old-age from the guys side- its not exactly 'smug' is it? Which redeems it a bit. Just saying.
NB I do think its tinged with regret/fear-of-old-age from the guys side- its not exactly 'smug' is it? Which redeems it a bit. Just saying.
I always felt like the part where he says ''it's you my love, who are the stranger'' means that maybe she was wrong all along in her perception of things. while she thought all the other men were letting her down, it was actually only her that was uable to love. and now that he is there and says he really wants her she has nothing to hide behind and she has to realize that she is the stranger and she has been all along. she is the one still looking for something. or maybe like you said, it's just...
I always felt like the part where he says ''it's you my love, who are the stranger'' means that maybe she was wrong all along in her perception of things. while she thought all the other men were letting her down, it was actually only her that was uable to love. and now that he is there and says he really wants her she has nothing to hide behind and she has to realize that she is the stranger and she has been all along. she is the one still looking for something. or maybe like you said, it's just that she is now unable to trust people because of all the ''players'' she had to deal with in the past.
" and trying to profess that he's not that way, only this time they're literal and he is playing her and he has left her and he explains to her "I told you I was a stranger". Just the icing on the cake to call her a dope." I'm sorry but I didn't understand what you said here (I'm not a native speaker so maybe that causes some confusion). Could you explain me what you mean?
" and trying to profess that he's not that way, only this time they're literal and he is playing her and he has left her and he explains to her "I told you I was a stranger". Just the icing on the cake to call her a dope." I'm sorry but I didn't understand what you said here (I'm not a native speaker so maybe that causes some confusion). Could you explain me what you mean?